


balayés pour toujours

by panther



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 11:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4918522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panther/pseuds/panther
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The wizarding world is shocked when they find out Harry Potter is set to marry Parvati Patil but how did they get to that point from Harry admiring Parvati's lunches in the Ministry canteen?</p>
            </blockquote>





	balayés pour toujours

After the war Harry keeps himself to himself. His relationship with Ginny Weasley very quickly fizzles away into nothing and he renovates number 12 and all but disappears from society. Work is something that he dedicates himself to and he is happy spending time by himself for most of the time and filling the rest of it with the occasional drink at the pub, attending Weasley family meals, and taking his godson to the park. It frustrates the press who are eager for a story but the truth is that Harry Potter is not a very interesting person when no one is trying to murder him. His friend circle shifts over the years too. While Ron has joined him in the Auror department Harry was paired up with Marcus Flint years before that. It may have taken him two years to pass his final exams at school but Marcus is a dedicated worker and also a good friend. More importantly he has a critical eye for detail that comes from his Quidditch days and is good at reading body language. Many former classmates now work in the Ministry and that is how he reconnects with Parvati Patil. 

When he and Marcus do get a proper lunch break Marcus likes to leave the building and stretch his legs while Harry like to rest and take a seat. His breaks happen to overlap with Parvati's. She works in the birth registry office and makes Harry laugh with tales of harassed parents arguing over how to spell certain names while a screaming baby demands it be fed. It is not what she wanted to do with her life but it is a decent wage and she likes her co-workers. She makes traditional Indian meals for her lunch and heats them up. Harry is curious and admits to never having had anything like it before. His sandwiches seem dull in comparison and somehow that leads to Harry being invited to Parvati's for dinner. 

*

She greets him with a warm hug and is then pulling cold beers out from a cupboard and taking the charms of them as she ushers Harry into her cramped but cosy looking living room. 

"Sorry about the clutter. We don't have a lot of room and being a Ravenclaw Padma just sort of leaves a trail of academic destruction wherever she goes."

"Yeah...I know someone like that." They share a chuckle and Harry takes the chance to take in his surroundings while Parvati sends a pile of books back to the bookcase in the corner from where they have been camped out on the coffee table. The bookcase looks ready to collapse at any second and Harry strongly suspects it is standing under the power of magic alone. Brightly coloured rugs cover the wooden floors and a tawny owl sits sleeping on a perch in the corner. Tea cups and magazines cover the rest of the coffee table but Parvati quickly has the magazines in the next pile and the cups levitating towards the kitchen. It seems a harmonious mix of the twins. 

" I can't believe you have never had any Indian type food!"

"Well, my Muggle relatives never shared and really, can you imagine Mrs Weasley trying to make curry or something? After that well...I had never had it and didn't want to order it somewhere and then not like it. That would be a waste." Harry mumbles, expecting Parvati to frown in pity like many do when he mentions his relatives but she only beams.

"Well, good thing I decided on a little of everything to see what you like then isn't it? As if we only make curry. As if all parts of the region make the same! Nah, I'm gonna give you a bit of every corner! I made the nan bread myself though so if you decide anyone else makes it better I may need to disown you."

"I'll make sure to never think that then." She giggles and Harry thinks it really is a lovely sound. They talk about school and not just the big traumatic events but things like when Seamus continuously blasted his own eyebrows off and was generally considered danger to sit near in classes. They talked about when Millicent Bullestrode tried to dye her hair blonde and ended up with a horrible minty green instead. They talked about friends falling out over games of snap and arguments over the correct rules of Gobstones. 

Harry enjoys every sample of good put in front of him and more importantly every moment he spends with Parvati. 

"You know, I'm not such a terrible cook myself. Fancy the same next week at my place?"

Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the lamplight as she agrees.

Harry spends the next week fretting over the menu.

*

In the end he settles for toad in the hole. It was something his relatives made him make every second Sunday instead of roast beef. Roasts appeared at Hogwarts but Harry had never seen the sausage based dish before. It was one of the few dishes he tended to get a halfway decent portion of at his relatives just because of the size of it. He also tended to get vegetables as Petunia insisted they belonged with the dish and Dudley flat out refused to eat them. Carrots, broccoli, mashed and roast potatoes and the main dish itself with gravy and when it comes down to it Harry is rather proud of himself. 

For drinks he gets his hands on a red wine that Marcus recommends between sniggering and teasing Harry about having a 'date'. 

"Parvati is a friend and we're introducing each other to new things while having a laugh, that is all."

"Sure, Potter, whatever you say. No one gets that worked up to just see a friend. I have listened to you whining and fretting over _recipies_ of all things all ruddy week. You should have this debate with your house-elf. He doesn't cook does he? That is your agreement isn't it? You know, cause you're fucking odd." Marcus drawls while flicking absentmindedly through reports about students trying to breed Imps at Hogwarts. 

"Shut it, Flint. And yes, Kreacture doesn't cook but I asked him once to make me sandwiches and I think that is a good thing. Plus, I like cooking. It calms me down. Murdering a packet of biscuits to make truffles is a good de-stressor and I don't see you complaining when I bring them in." 

"Calm down, mate. You know I'm joking. Seriously though, you should make sure she doesn't think it is a date if you don't want it to be a date. Or if you want it to be a date but she hasn't said anything you should say something. Basically....say something. I'll take any leftovers as you know."

"You're a git."

"Bite me."

*

Harry asks Parvati to meet him at the elevators on the fifth floor of the Ministry as it is between departments. For some reason instead of sending his memo as the usual plane he charms it into a bird and ignores the comments of his brain that sound irritatingly like Marcus. She arrives five minutes late looking harassed. 

"I'm so sorry. A woman came to register her baby at five to five. Five minutes before closing! _Who does that?!_ " She snaps while coming to a halt. Harry cannot hold back the lopsided grin. 

"Things happen. Hey, I um, need to give you this."

She frowns as he hands over the piece of parchment and her eyes widen as she reads it.

_Harry Potter's home is located at 12 Grimmauld Place, London_

"Harry...your house is under...you don't need to ...oh my."

"I want to. I trust you. Can I apparate us there now?"

"Of course." She still seems stunned but she reaches out her hand and Harry takes it, noting how warm it is and how he likes the way she doesn't hold him too tight. A second later they are in his living room and a second after that Kreature has appeared with the wine and two glasses. 

"Welcome, Miss Patil. Kreature hopes you like Master's house. Please call on Kreature if anything is needed." With a click of his fingers the wine, which had been breathing for hours, is poured and he disappears. Harry plucks one of the hovering glasses from mid air and offers it to Parvati with a shy smile before asking for her robe. She slips out of it looking dazed. 

"I think it is apparent that I've never been in a house like this. I've only ever seen a house elf when they appeared in the battle."

"Yeah...Kreature led them. That locket he is wearing was...um...well it was his previous master's and that master was killed by Voldemort. He led them to fight."

"That is....weird but kind of amazing. You're not telling me everything are you? No, but you're Harry Potter so that is always for a good reason. Don't think on it. Can I...well...see more? I've never been in a house like this before as I said."

"Sure!" Harry nervously leads her from the living room to the dining room, let's her see the kitchen, then leads her upstairs to show her the bathrooms while pointing out the bedrooms. A moment later he takes her into the room that holds the tapestry, now fully restored by Harry and all scorch marks erased. 

"If you have not figured it out, this was my Godfather's house. The seat of the Black Family. My Godfather, Sirius... his father put all sorts of protections on this place. It was the headquarters of the _Order of the Phoenix_ during the war. The paparazzi follow me everywhere when I'm off duty so keeping it this way gives me some peace and quiet. I've done a lot to it though." Harry says while leading Parvati back down towards the kitchen. " I took out a wall on this floor to open up the living room. It had a wall with a portrait I needed to get rid of and the room next door was basically there for people to apparate into and that just seemed bloody pretentious, you know? So yeah, I got rid of that."

"Yeah that stinks of being rich! Not your style at all."

"I'm sorry you have to wait while I cook but yeah with the wards I couldn't just give you an address." Harry says as Parvati takes a place at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. It has actually been months since anyone has been in the dining room and though Harry had Kreature clean it he is now thinking it must be easier and better overall to just eat in the kitchen. 

"That is ok. You can cook and chat at the same time. I had to ask around to find out just what you're making actually is." Parvati laughs, sipping her wine contently. 

"I had to think hard to find something we never had at Hogwarts. You introduced me to something new so I wanted to do the same." 

"This house is just huge. Does it not overwhelm you sometimes?" Parvati asks. 

"Not really. There are three floors but I only use two. Kreature keeps the top floor presentable. I have my room but also a room for Ron and Hermione if they want to stay or when I have their kids over and then I have a room ready for my godson Teddy. He tends to come at least once a week for a sleepover and dinner at least once more. Oh, and then he forgets to take something home so comes back at least another day to fetch something." Harry replies with a soft smile. "It works for me. The Ministry is thinking of bringing in dogs like the Muggles do. They can be trained to sniff out drugs and well, everyone does those. They think potions and certain smells can be added to that. Then there is how they react to their surroundings like a warning system. If they come through testing I'd like to sign up to be a handler so the space will be great then."

"So you do have a godson. I'd heard people mention it but was not sure. It felt intrusive to ask."

Harry immediately brightens up and just in time to throw his dish in the oven with potatoes and vegetables on the boil. He settles himself across from Parvati and bursts into voice. "Oh yeah. Teddy is nine now. His proper name is Edward. His father was Remus, I mean Professor Lupin and an auror named Dora Tonks. They...they were both killed by Voldemort in the final battle. He lives with Dora's mother most of the time but I see him a whole not. Sometimes I swing by on the way home just to say hi. Andy doesn't mind. I offered to take him myself but she's managing just fine. He's some boy. Utterly obsessed with dragons right now. Andy is the only grandparent he has left so the Weasleys' just see him as one of their own. He bugs Charlie every chance that he gets given he works on a reservation."

"He makes you happy." Parvati says simply. Harry just nods shyly and drops his head. 

Parvati enjoys her dinner and more importantly her time with Harry. 

At the end of the evening she is tipsy and Harry insists that she use the floo rather than try to apparate. They find themselves giggling into each other's shoulders at the fireplace with arms around one another. "What if next time I take you out for dinner?"

"That sounds nice."

"I'll send a message."

*

He does send the message. Folded into a paper flower as part of a bouquet. He wants this to go further and has decided to do something more about it before Marcus sticks his oar in. The restaurant is the best in wizarding Britain. Part of that is Harry feels Parvati deserves it but also because it is the only place the press won't hassle Harry and write all about it the following day. He doesn't need that and he certainly doesn't want to scare Parvati off with it either. The general idea is that she says yes to being his girlfriend. 

He meets her there and she looks fantastic. A simple purple dress and black shoes go nicely with the clip in her hair and the simple eyeliner on her face. Despite everything she and Lavender talked about at Hogwarts Parvati prefers to be simple. The food is good and the wine even better but Harry just focuses on Parvati and the question rolling around his mind. 

"Wow this is posh." Parvati exclaims as Harry takes her outer robe to hang up in the entrance. 

"Yep. Too posh and too expensive for people like Rita Skeeter. I'm not trying to er make a statement or anything. I just you would appreciate not having flashbulbs going off every few seconds." Harry says. A waiter appears at his side, someone Harry vaguely recognises from school but can't name, and leads them to a table in the corner. "Usual wine please."

"Right away, Sir."

"Come here often then?" Parvati asks while sitting herself down and inspecting one of the crystal glasses already on the table with a smile. 

"Not exactly but I guess I'm the sort of bloke that gets remembered. Sometimes it can be useful. Right pain in the arse most of the time. I figured I deserved the decent times."

"Very true. Now, what would you recommend on here then?"

Harry blushes and picks up a menu. So many things could go wrong.

*

Nothing goes wrong. In fact, everything goes right. Parvati has a fantastic time and at the end of the evening she does indeed agree to be Harry's girlfriend. He is so delighted that he kisses her right there in the cloakroom of the restaurant. It is not the most romantic of places to have asked but it is private and it gives her an excuse to kiss him back and grab his arse while she's at it before demanding he take her home. 

No arguments from him. 

The following morning he makes her scrambled eggs and toast and helps her do the crossword in the Daily Prophet. "I like to keep my brain thinking." Parvati informs him. Harry is rather impressed with the number of answers he manages to come up with. No one really points out that Harry is rather clever. He is not an academic as such and will never write a perfect essay but that doesn't make him stupid and Parvati's comments about how good he is at the puzzle mean a lot. Usually compliments Harry's way are about wrangling confessions out of people and being very good at blowing things up. 

It becomes their thing after that first morning. They have dinner together every Friday night whether it is in or out, at her place or his, and in the morning they do the crossword while Harry makes breakfast. After a month Harry tells her he loves her and she cries through their kisses. Marcus comments on how much happier Harry seems and how much more driven he is at work now that his life doesn't solely consist of it and a side of Teddy. His godson adores Parvati when he meets her and she seems rather fond of him too. She often comes up with things for the three of them to do together and far from wanting as much time with Harry just herself it is often her that pushes for him to get more time with the young boy. Nearly a year passes and Parvati moves in. It feels like they are a family. They go to see muggle films with him after work and one night when they are meant to take him to the newest Shrek film Harry finds himself with a case he can't leave. He nips up to Parvati's department to tell her and plans to floo from there to break the news to Andromeda who can tell Teddy. When Parvati scowls at him and insists that is nonsense and she will just take Teddy herself Harry knows the answer to the question that has been floating around his mind. Yes. He wants to ask Parvati to marry him. 

The case ends up being a hostage situation that takes three days to resolve and it takes nearly a week to get the case looking even remotely ready to face a trial. It is Friday before Harry goes home to do more than sleep for five hours and go back to work. Teddy is staying over and Harry looks forward to spending time with him but falls asleep on the sofa before Teddy is finished telling him about his school trip. By the time Harry wakes up again it is eleven o'clock and Parvati is curled up in an armchair by the fire with a glass of wine held between her thighs as she reads a book. He stretches himself up out of his slump, blinking the sleep away, and Parvati looks up with a soft smile and conjures a bookmark to keep her place.

"Any chance I can get one of those glasses or have I missed the boat?"

She laughs, all teeth and genuine. "Plenty there. I've been nursing this for a while. To be honest I sort of forgot about it while I was reading. I actually nicked this from Teddy's room when I put him to bed. _Lord of the Rings_. I keep meaning to read them then never do. I just feel I should read them before agreeing to do that marathon thing with Teddy. Guess Pad rubbed off on me after all. "

Harry grins and feels warmth swirl in his belly. The whole thing just seems to be too lucky to be his. Luck is something he gets in bad batches not good ones. He doesn't realise that Parvati has called on Kreature until the elf is poking him in his ribs with a glare. 

"Oh, right, sorry mate. Thanks."

"Anything else for Master?"

"I'm good for now, Kreature. Pav?"

"I'm fine." 

"Right, you turn in for the night then. Anything we or Teddy needs I will take care of."

"Kreature likes to take care of Master Teddy if he wakens in the night. I makes him warm milk."

Harry smiles. Whoever would have thought the elf he met would become the elf he now lives with quite happily. "Sure thing. If he calls on you then you can help him but otherwise we're fine."

With a crack he is gone and Harry finds Parvati smiling at him. "Hermione must be right proud of you. He's not free but he's...well, free."

"I keep telling him he does not need to do anything at all but he turns a rather dark shade of green when I suggest that. Plus, I don't really know what he would do with himself if he wasn't rearranging Ted's room all the time or poking around the flower beds. When he's...you know...I don't think I would get another or anything but we're good for now."

As a matter of fact Hermione has calmed right down about elves after passing a few laws which gave them more rights if not freedom. Elves can no longer be punished with violence. This means many families show their displeasure by refusing to let their elves help them for a period of time by doing things for themselves. This upsets the elf and at the same time gives them a break. It is enough for Hermione. Kreature still calls her a Mudblood but there is no sting in it now. It is almost like he just can't wrap his head around the idea that she has a name. 

"I wouldn't even know how to go about getting a house elf to be honest. Wouldn't know who to ask either. They are a pretty privileged thing."

"Yeah...and I can't imagine myself walking into Malfoy's office to ask him."

She cracks up at that, knocks her book to the floor and then giggles at that too before taking a sip of her wine. "That is a conversation I could sell tickets for. Then retire to Monaco or something."

"Draco's a good guy these days. Still a stuck up twerp but a good guy. He does the analysis on cases we suspect drug, potions or spell damage on. He could be a healer if he wanted but I don't think he has the bedside manner for it."

"Don't need to say that twice. So, you fell asleep. This case has clearly floored you. Wanna talk about it?"

"I can't. Genuinely. It is going to trial and it is serious. It was hard physically and emotionally though. I'm glad I have this weekend off."

"Anything I can do then?"

This woman. He loved her. "You already did! You took care of Ted and let me get a kip I clearly needed. I think I will be pretty tired the whole weekend though. If you can help me keep him entertained tomorrow that would be great."

"Sure thing. Harry, I live here. I'm your partner. Teddy is my responsibility too now and anyway I wanted to make cookies with him anyway. There is a bake sale at his karate class on Sunday and the kids are expected to take something in. Andy said she'd just buy something as she can't bake and I'm not having that."

"You're amazing."

A shy smile. "I love that kid. I really, really do."

This is not how he was going to do this at all. Not that he had a full plan of action but still. It wasn't going to be this. He's still in his work clothes for Merlin's sake. He hasn't bought a ring. Yet he finds himself placing his wine on the coffee table and skirting around it to drop to his knees in front of Parvati and take her hands. He kisses them softly and she giggles, not catching on just yet. He's not good with words so he doesn't bother with more than he needs. 

"Marry me."

"...what?"

"Marry me, Parvati. I love you. I love the life we're building together. I want us to live together and be together and I want-"

That is as far as he gets before he's somehow on the floor with Parvati on top of him kissing every inch of his face that she can find and chanting 'yes' between kisses. 

"I'm sorry it wasn't better planned. I had a plan. Or I was working on one."

"I don't care. I love you. Let's do this. Ted is ring bearer."

"Sure. Whatever you want. Wherever you want. However you want."

*

The next morning Harry realises that he has not even met her parents and that is a rather backwards way of doing things. They build their way up slowly. Parvati decides to tell her parents on their second meal together and then insists that they do the same for Molly and Arthur and then Andromeda. The three of them have taken the places of Harry's parents over the years and Harry is humbled by the way Parvati respects that. All are thrilled but none so much as Teddy who clings to Parvati for the rest of the day when they tell him and Harry later prods it out of him that to the young boy it feels like finally having parents himself. 

He tells Parvati and she bawls her eyes out. She says they need to have a family discussion with Ted and Andromeda because clearly something isn't right and again Harry wonders why him?

*

 

"Teddy. You told Harry that us getting married made you feel like you were finally getting parents. What did you mean?"

They are sitting in the living room at number 12. The adults have tea and Teddy has a rare can of diet coke. He blushes and his hair turns red, his right shoulder turning to tuck himself away from Andromeda on the seat next to him. 

"Be honest, Teddy. It is ok." Andromeda reassures him.

"Just...I go to the muggle primary right? No one else lives with their gran. Some don't have a dad and some have two mums or two dads but...no one else has dead parents. I guess I just...everyone says they died so I could live in a better world. A normal one. But I don't feel normal. I feel weird."

Parvati had theorised on that and spoken to both Harry and Andromeda about it too. Everyone involved had cried. 

"You feel I'm not a parent and yet I'm not a grandmother am I?" Andromeda asks softly, reaching out to grasp Teddy's shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze.

"M'sorry."

"Sweet child, there is nothing to be sorry for. You know when you were born and your parents were killed Harry and I spoke about this. He offered to take you and I said no. I said no because Harry was very famous and I wanted you to grow up away from photographers and horrible reporters. I...I..."

Parvati nudges Harry with her knee and he takes a deep breath. Merlin, this could go so very wrong.

"Ted, Parvati lives here now and we're a family....and-" another nudge, this time more violent and Harry nearly loses his tea. "Would you like to live here with me? With us? Do you want us...to...to...be."

" _I want a mum and dad_." It is so quiet they almost don't hear him at all. His shoulders shake. He's crying. Harry's heart breaks. That desire for normality hits so hard in the gut. He feels eleven again. He thrusts his cup at Parvati and hurries to his godson, allowing him to collapse in his arms as he cries. 

"Oh Teddy. Well, we cannot replace your parents and I certainly don't want you to think you have to call me anything other than Uncle Harry until you've had a think about this but...if you want to live here with me then...that would make me the happiest Godfather ever." Harry mumbles into Teddy's hair. It is his natural brown now, showing Teddy's upset. 

Andromeda has tears in her eyes but she is smiling and nodding. _Accepting_. Teddy cries even harder to have her approval. Parvati gingerly gets to her feet and moves towards Harry and Teddy, getting down to her knees and joining the hug. 

 

It feels right.

*  
 __

 _Potter Finally at Peace?  
By Luna Lovegood _

_For weeks people have speculated over the engagement of Harry Potter and Parvati Patil after the request for a marriage license was filed at the Ministry. Other sources continued their intrusive ways of stalking Harry Potter's every move. Those who paid the slightest bit of attention to anything but hype filled rumors will know that Harry's relationship with Ginny Weasley ended some time ago. In fact Miss Weasley is currently very happy with a Mr Neville Longbottom and is often seen visiting him at Hogwarts school where he teaches Herbology and is Head of Gryffindor house. She passed on her congratulations to Mr Potter and Miss Patil and commented 'I'm just glad he's settled you know?' This reporter suspects that nargles have allowed both Miss Weasley and Mr Potter to see what they really want in life._

_Harry and Parvati knew each other from school being in the same year and house at Hogwarts. Harry even took Parvati to the Yule Ball in 1994 though she now admits with a blush that 'it was kind of a disaster but we can laugh about it now'. I sat down with the pair at Harry's London home to take their story. It makes others back off you see. Harry's Godson Edward was in the room with us reading a book by a Mr Tolkien. I am informed he is a very famous muggle writer but he writes about wizards and such. Nothing he writes is true but it remains interesting._

_Harry and Parvati plan to officially adopt Teddy as he now lives with them and not his maternal grandmother Andromeda Tonks. He will retain his father's surname of Lupin. (His father Remus was of course killed in the war against Voldemort and happened to also be a fantastic teacher.) Harry states this is due to Teddy's own wishes and Parvati expresses excitement at taking on a more motherly role with Teddy. She met him several weeks into the romance and they get on well. She reads Mr Tokien's books when Teddy is finished with him and they plan to watch the muggle cinematic movie versions once both have completed their readings._

_Harry and Parvati reconnected at work. Harry is an Auror and Parvati works in the Birth Registry Office and they spent their lunch breaks together. They ended up cooking for one another and spending time together in the privacy of their own homes and away from the intruding press. Parvati gets on wonderfully with Teddy as mentioned which is hugely important to Harry. The wedding will be small and private and the Quibbler is proud to say we will have exclusive rights to publish a small selection of photographs from the day in order to satisfy busybodies. This reporter is the proud owner of an invitation and so will take the photographs personally to ensure more privacy on their special day. Both will continue in their current positions at the Ministry and request they are left alone and not questioned on their marriage at work as it has nothing to do with it. Unless you speak to their bosses who have to get their holidays to match up but I suspect Harry and Parvati are not overly bothered about that. Anyway, congratulations to the happy couple._

__  
*

Harry places the paper down on the coffee table and doubles over it with laughter. 

"It is _so_ Luna. Honestly I don't understand how that paper stays in business the way their reporters write things. I hope people take the meaning though. No one's business but ours what we do from here." Parvati says.

"I can't wait." Harry smiles warmly. "I'm sorry I was in late. Did you get Teddy's room finished?"

"Yeah. Nearly everything from Andy's is set up in his room. Obviously we did it so some stuff was left at her place for his visits."

Harry calls Kreature to bring them some wine, smiles fondly at the bumps coming from above as Teddy does Merlin knows what in his room, and puts his arm around Parvati. "Brilliant. Everything. Just brilliant."


End file.
